Physical configuration of computer keyboard

ABSTRACT

A physical configuration of a keyboard is described. A keypad section is disposed on one surface of a main body. A first flat plate is pivotally connected with an opposite surface of the main body at one edge thereof. A second flat plate is pivotally connected with an edge side of the first flat plate at one edge thereof. Two engaging modules are disposed on the opposite surface of the main body and two sides of the first flat plate, wherein each engaging module includes a plurality of slots. A pair of sliding tracks are disposed on the opposite surface of the main body, wherein two end portions of each sliding track are a first pivot position and a second pivot position, and the first flat plate is selectively connected with the first pivot position and the second pivot position.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number96208315, filed May 22, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a computer keyboard.

2. Description of Related Art

Keyboard is designed for the input of text and characters and also tocontrol the operation of a computer. A conventional keyboard is designedto raise a certain sloping angle for users to comfortably input data.However, the certain sloping angle cannot satisfy everyone's demand.

For the forgoing reasons, there is a need for an improved physicalconfiguration of a computer keyboard.

SUMMARY

A physical configuration of a keyboard comprises the followingcomponents. A keypad section is disposed on one surface of a main body.A first flat plate is pivotally connected with an opposite surface ofthe main body at one edge thereof. A second flat plate is pivotallyconnected with an edge side of the first flat plate at one edge thereof.Two engaging modules are disposed on the opposite surface of the mainbody and respectively adjacent to two opposite sides of the main body,wherein each engaging module includes a plurality of slots. A pair ofsliding tracks are disposed on the opposite surface of the main body,wherein two end portions of each sliding track are a first pivotposition and a second pivot position, and the first flat plate isselectively connected with the first pivot position and the second pivotposition.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are by examples, and are intended toprovide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a keyboard according to one embodimentof this invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of a keyboard according to oneembodiment of this invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates how to switch between two pivot positions of thekeyboard of this invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a keyboard with a raised rear side according to oneembodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a keyboard with a raised front side according to oneembodiment of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in thedrawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a keyboard according to one embodimentof this invention. The keyboard 100 includes a main body 101. A supportleg 106 is installed in a concave section 108 of the main body 101'sbottom surface. The support leg 106 includes a first flat plate 106 aand a second flat plate 106 b, which are both of rectangular shapes. Anedge of the first flat plate 106 a is pivotally connected within theconcave section 108 by a joint 105 a. An edge of the second flat plate106 b is pivotally connected an opposite edge of the first flat plate106 a by a joint 105 b. In this embodiment, the support leg 106 servesas a wrist rest (illustrated in FIG. 2) to raise a user's wrist suchthat the user can use keypad section 102 on keyboard 100's top surfaceto input data comfortably. In order to make the support leg 106 statusin FIG. 1 to achieve the support leg 106 status in FIG. 2, the firstflat plate 106 a is swiveled along a direction 130 a to lay against themain body 101's bottom surface, and the second flat plate 106 b isswiveled along a direction 140 a to lay against a rear side 101 b of themain body 101 (that is, the first flat plate 106 a is not shielded bythe main body 101 with the viewpoint from the side of the main body 101having the keypad section 102). The support leg 106 can be accommodatedwithin the concave section 108. While storing the support leg 106, thesecond flat plate 106 b is firstly swiveled along a direction 140 b tolay against the first flat plate 106 a, the folded support leg 106(including the first flat plate 106 a and the second flat plate 106 b)is then swiveled along a direction 130 b to be accommodated within theconcave section 108. When the support leg 106 is accommodated within theconcave section 108, the second flat plate 106 b is positioned betweenthe main body 101 and the first flat plate 106 a.

FIG. 3 illustrates how to switch between two pivot positions of thekeyboard of this invention. The support leg 106 has another function toraise either side of the keyboard 100 for comfortably inputting data. Inorder to serve this function, the first flat plate 106 a switches itspivot position from a pivot position 103 a to a pivot position 103 b.The pivot position 103 a and the pivot position 103 b are two endportions of a pair of sliding tracks 103 (the left view in FIG. 3 onlyillustrates single track 103), which are located on a pair of oppositesidewalls of the concave section 108. Two ends of the joint 105 a slidesalong the pair of sliding tracks 103 to switch from the pivot position103 a to the pivot position 103 b.

When two ends of the joint 105 a are pivotally connected with the pivotposition 103 b, the joint 105 a is about at the center of the main body101's bottom surface. Meanwhile, the pivot position 103 b is at a middleposition between the two engaging modules 110 and 112, which arerespectively adjacent to two opposite sides 101 a and 101 b of the mainbody 101. The first flat plate 106 a can be swiveled along a direction150 a or a direction 150 b such that a free edge of the second flatplate 106 b can be inserted into the engaging module 110 or engagingmodule 112. When the second flat plate 106 b is inserted into theengaging module 112 and the main body 101 is turned upside down, thekeyboard 100 with its raised rear side 101 b (with the joint 105 b as asupport position) is illustrated in FIG. 4. The engaging module 112 hasseveral slots 112 a for the second flat plate 106 b to be selectivelyinserted. The second flat plate 106 b inserting into a different slot112 a raises the rear side 101 b up to a different degree. When thesecond flat plate 106 b is inserted into the engaging module 110 and themain body 101 is turned upside down, the keyboard 100 with its raisedrear side 101 a (with the joint 105 b as a support position) isillustrated in FIG. 5. The engaging module 110 has several slots 110 afor the second flat plate 106 b to be selectively inserted. The secondflat plate 106 b inserting into a different slot 110 a raises the rearside 101 a up to a different degree.

According to embodiments discussed above, the keyboard device of presentinvention has a support leg to raise either a front side or a rear sideof the keyboard body, and to serve as a wrist rest so as to raise auser's wrist to for inputting data comfortably. The support leg can alsobe accommodated within a concave section on the bottom surface of thekeyboard body.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made to the structure of the presentinvention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present inventioncover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fallwithin the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

1. A keyboard having a physical configuration comprising: a main body; a keypad section, disposed on one surface of the main body; a first flat plate, having one edge pivotally connected with an opposite surface of the main body; a second flat plate, having one edge pivotally connected with an opposite edge of the first flat plate; two engaging modules, disposed on the opposite surface of the main body and respectively adjacent to two opposite sides of the main body, wherein each engaging module comprises a plurality of slots; a pair of sliding tracks, disposed on the opposite surface of the main body, wherein two end portions of each sliding track are a first pivot position and a second pivot position, and the first flat plate is selectively connected with the first pivot position and the second pivot position.
 2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the first pivot position is at a middle position between the two engaging modules.
 3. The keyboard of claim 2, wherein when the edge of the first flat plate is pivotally connected with the first pivot position, an opposite edge of the second flat plate is selectively inserted into either one of slots of the each engaging module.
 4. The keyboard of claim 3, wherein the opposite surface of the main body comprises a concave section to accommodate the first flat plate and the second flat plate.
 5. The keyboard of claim 4, wherein the pair of sliding tracks is disposed within the concave section.
 6. The keyboard of claim 4, wherein the second flat plate is positioned between the first flat plate and the main body when the first flat plate and the second flat plate are accommodated within the concave section.
 7. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the second pivot position is more distant from one of the two engaging modules than the other of the two engaging modules.
 8. The keyboard of claim 7, wherein the opposite edge of the first flat plate is not shielded by the main body with the viewpoint form the side of the main body having the keypad section when the edge of the first flat plate is pivotally connected with the second pivot position and lays against one of the two engaging modules, which is closer to the second pivot position.
 9. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the first flat plate is of a rectangular shape.
 10. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the second flat plate is of a rectangular shape. 